About Sir William Molyneux, Kt., of Sefton

Sir William Molyneuxof Sefton was born abt. 1479 and died 16 March 1548. In 1513 he distinguished himself at the battle of Flodden, during which he captured the standard of the Earl of Huntly, a trophy which was hung in Sefton Hall for the remainder of his life. He was Sheriff of Lancashire in 1524-1525 [1] and Lord of Sefton Manor [2][3].

Parents: Sir William was the eldest of seven children and the heir of Sir Thomas Molyneux (1445-1483), Sheriff of Lancashire 1473-80, and Anne Dutton (d. 1520), who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Dutton, of Dutton (d. 1549) and Margaret Touchet (1424-1503).

Married:

Jane Rugge, born Abt. 1475 Of, Rugge, Shropshire, England. She was the only daughter and heir of Richard Rydge or Rugge of Ridge, Shropshire and Margaret (Sheen) Moreton [4][6].

Elizabeth Clifton, daughter and heir of Cuthbert Clifton, Esq.

Children of William Molyneux and Jane Rugge:

William Molines

Jane Molyneux, born about 1499, of Sefton, Lancashire, England, and died unknown. [4]

Anne Molyneux, born circa 1500 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. She married Alexander Standish, son of Ralph Standish, Esq. and Alice Harington, in 1518. [2][3]

Sir Richard Molyneux, born circa 1510 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. He married Eleanore Radcliffe, daughter of Alexander Radcliffe and Alice Booth, circa 1534 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. He was sheriff of Lancaster in 1566 and died on 3 January 1569 at Ireland. [1][2]

Children of Elizabeth Clifton and William Molyneux:([7] fn. 50)

Thomas Molyneux born before 1527 and died without issue.

Anne, Henry Halsall of Halsall

Notes

Sir William Molyneux (1483-1548), son of Sir Thomas, by his wife Anne, daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Dutton, led a considerable force to serve in 1513 under his cousin Sir Edward Stanley at Flodden Field, where he took with his own hands two Scottish banners and the Earl of Huntly's arms; for this service he was personally thanked in a letter by Henry VIII. He joined Derby's Salley expedition in 1536 (GAIRDNER, Letters and Papers, ii. 1251) ([7] fn. 47) and died in 1548, aged 65, being buried in Sefton Church [5], where there is a monument and eulogistic Latin inscription to his memory. [6] ([7] fn. 50)

It was perhaps in his time that Croxteth became the principal residence of the family, as Leyland found it in 1535: 'Mr. Molyneux, a knight of great lands, two miles from Prescot, dwelleth at a place called Croxteth.' ([7] fn. 48) In 1545 William Molyneux assigned certain lands to his son Richard to enable the latter to maintain hospitality within the manor place of Sefton. ([7] fn. 49).

He was knighted at Mary's accession in 1553, served as sheriff of Lancashire in 1566, and died in 1569.[8]

Footnotes

47. See the inscription on his brass in Sefton church. The letter is at Croxteth, as are the summonses to be ready in 1536 to join the earl of Shrewsbury (no doubt against the Pilgrimage of Grace), and in 1542 to advance against the Scots; Croxteth D. Genl. i, 73, 75, 76, 78. For a fuller account of him see Dict. Nat. Biog. and Gillow, Bibl. Dict. of Engl. Cath. v, 71. The printed Visits. begin at this time (Chet. Soc.); the Molyneux of Sefton pedigrees will be found as follows: 1533, p. 135; 1567, p. 103; 1613, p. 131; 1664, p. 204.

48. Itin. vii, 48.

49. Croxteth D. Genl. i, 80.

50. Brass at Sefton church. His will, dated 1547, is among the Croxteth Deeds; Genl. i, 81. The inquisition preserved says nothing of his Sefton lands; it concerns only the Clifton estates which he held in right of his second wife, and which descended to his son by her, Thomas Molyneux, then over twenty-one years of age; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vii, n. 6. Thomas dying without issue they went to his sister Anne, wife of Henry Halsall of Halsall; Visit. of 1533, p. 135.

On the south side of the chancel is a floor-slab with the brass figures of Sir William Molyneux and his two wives, Jane (Rudge) and Elizabeth (Clifton), 1548. The inscription records his feat of capturing two standards at Flodden, and over his head is the Molyneux shield with the standards above it—only one being now perfect, that of Huntly, with its motto or cry 'Clanc tout.' Above each of the wives was a lozenge with heraldry, one only being now left, and below the inscription a shield with Molyneux with ten alliances, and the motto 'En droit devant.' The figure of Sir William is in armour of the time, with the curious exception that the head is covered with a coif of mail, and the lower part of a hauberk shows above the knees. It is possible, as has been already suggested elsewhere, that the figure represents his actual appearance at Flodden, in old armour hastily chosen from among the suits at Sefton on the sudden alarm of war.

Molyneux remains a significant name throughout these deeds, and the inquisitio post mortem following the death of Henry Norris in 1524 found that the Speke lands were held by knight service of Sir William Molyneux, under whom Henry [Norris] and his brother William [Norris] were said to have fought at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.

Sir Henry Kighley ... is said to have commanded the bowmen in the English army against the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field, 1513, in conjunction with Sir William Stanley and Sir William Molyneux. These knights and their archers are said to have "forced the Scots to give ground..." (source: Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, College of Arms, London, England). The following is an account of the battle excerpted from Encarta Encyclopedia:

Flodden Field, plain in Northumberland, England, on the border with Scotland, at the base of Flodden Hill, the northeastern continuation of the Cheviot Hills. It is the site of a celebrated battle, fought on September 9, 1513, in which a Scottish army commanded by James IV, king of Scotland, was defeated by the English under Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey (later 2nd duke of Norfolk), chief lieutenant of King Henry VIII of England.

Sir William Molyneux of Sefton was born abt. 1479 and died 16 March 1548. In 1513 he distinguished himself at the battle of Flodden, during which he captured the standard of the Earl of Huntly, a trophy which was hung in Sefton Hall for the remainder of his life. He was Sheriff of Lancashire in 1524-1525 [1] and Lord of Sefton Manor [2][3].

Parents: Sir William was the eldest of seven children and the heir of Sir Thomas Molyneux (1445-1483), Sheriff of Lancashire 1473-80, and Anne Dutton (d. 1520), who was the daughter of Sir Thomas Dutton, of Dutton (d. 1549) and Margaret Touchet (1424-1503).

Married:

1. Jane Rugge, born Abt. 1475 Of, Rugge, Shropshire, England. She was the only daughter and heir of Richard Rydge or Rugge of Ridge, Shropshire and Margaret (Sheen) Moreton [4][6].
2. Elizabeth Clifton, daughter and heir of Cuthbert Clifton, Esq.

Children of William Molyneux and Jane Rugge:

1. William Molines
2. Jane Molyneux, born about 1499, of Sefton, Lancashire, England, and died unknown. [4]
3. Anne Molyneux, born circa 1500 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. She married Alexander Standish, son of Ralph Standish, Esq. and Alice Harington, in 1518. [2][3]
4. Sir Richard Molyneux, born circa 1510 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. He married Eleanore Radcliffe, daughter of Alexander Radcliffe and Alice Booth, circa 1534 at of Sefton, Lancashire, England. He was sheriff of Lancaster in 1566 and died on 3 January 1569 at Ireland. [1][2]

Children of Elizabeth Clifton and William Molyneux:([7] fn. 50)

1. Thomas Molyneux born before 1527 and died without issue.
2. Anne, Henry Halsall of Halsall

Notes

Sir William Molyneux (1483-1548), son of Sir Thomas, by his wife Anne, daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Dutton, led a considerable force to serve in 1513 under his cousin Sir Edward Stanley at Flodden Field, where he took with his own hands two Scottish banners and the Earl of Huntly's arms; for this service he was personally thanked in a letter by Henry VIII. He joined Derby's Salley expedition in 1536 (GAIRDNER, Letters and Papers, ii. 1251) ([7] fn. 47) and died in 1548, aged 65, being buried in Sefton Church [5], where there is a monument and eulogistic Latin inscription to his memory. [6] ([7] fn. 50)

It was perhaps in his time that Croxteth became the principal residence of the family, as Leyland found it in 1535: 'Mr. Molyneux, a knight of great lands, two miles from Prescot, dwelleth at a place called Croxteth.' ([7] fn. 48) In 1545 William Molyneux assigned certain lands to his son Richard to enable the latter to maintain hospitality within the manor place of Sefton. ([7] fn. 49).

He was knighted at Mary's accession in 1553, served as sheriff of Lancashire in 1566, and died in 1569.[8] Sources

* 47. See the inscription on his brass in Sefton church. The letter is at Croxteth, as are the summonses to be ready in 1536 to join the earl of Shrewsbury (no doubt against the Pilgrimage of Grace), and in 1542 to advance against the Scots; Croxteth D. Genl. i, 73, 75, 76, 78. For a fuller account of him see Dict. Nat. Biog. and Gillow, Bibl. Dict. of Engl. Cath. v, 71. The printed Visits. begin at this time (Chet. Soc.); the Molyneux of Sefton pedigrees will be found as follows: 1533, p. 135; 1567, p. 103; 1613, p. 131; 1664, p. 204.
* 48. Itin. vii, 48.
* 49. Croxteth D. Genl. i, 80.
* 50. Brass at Sefton church. His will, dated 1547, is among the Croxteth Deeds; Genl. i, 81. The inquisition preserved says nothing of his Sefton lands; it concerns only the Clifton estates which he held in right of his second wife, and which descended to his son by her, Thomas Molyneux, then over twenty-one years of age; Duchy of Lanc. Inq. p.m. vii, n. 6. Thomas dying without issue they went to his sister Anne, wife of Henry Halsall of Halsall; Visit. of 1533, p. 135.

* from: The church of St. Helen at Sefton | British History Online

* On the south side of the chancel is a floor-slab with the brass figures of Sir William Molyneux and his two wives, Jane (Rudge) and Elizabeth (Clifton), 1548. The inscription records his feat of capturing two standards at Flodden, and over his head is the Molyneux shield with the standards above it—only one being now perfect, that of Huntly, with its motto or cry 'Clanc tout.' Above each of the wives was a lozenge with heraldry, one only being now left, and below the inscription a shield with Molyneux with ten alliances, and the motto 'En droit devant.' The figure of Sir William is in armour of the time, with the curious exception that the head is covered with a coif of mail, and the lower part of a hauberk shows above the knees. It is possible, as has been already suggested elsewhere, that the figure represents his actual appearance at Flodden, in old armour hastily chosen from among the suits at Sefton on the sudden alarm of war.

* from: Norris family deeds: Grant of land in Woolton by Hugh son of Roger de Magna Wolueton to William son of John del Brokes | University of Liverpool Special Collections & Archives

* Molyneux remains a significant name throughout these deeds, and the inquisitio post mortem following the death of Henry Norris in 1524 found that the Speke lands were held by knight service of Sir William Molyneux, under whom Henry [Norris] and his brother William [Norris] were said to have fought at the Battle of Flodden Field in 1513.

* from: Descendants of William Newsom

* Sir Henry Kighley ... is said to have commanded the bowmen in the English army against the Scots at the Battle of Flodden Field, 1513, in conjunction with Sir William Stanley and Sir William Molyneux. These knights and their archers are said to have "forced the Scots to give ground..." (source: Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, College of Arms, London, England). The following is an account of the battle excerpted from Encarta Encyclopedia:

Flodden Field, plain in Northumberland, England, on the border with Scotland, at the base of Flodden Hill, the northeastern continuation of the Cheviot Hills. It is the site of a celebrated battle, fought on September 9, 1513, in which a Scottish army commanded by James IV, king of Scotland, was defeated by the English under Thomas Howard, earl of Surrey (later 2nd duke of Norfolk), chief lieutenant of King Henry VIII of England.

The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient officer, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lancashire is the representative of the monarch in the county, and is the "Keeper of The Queen's Peace" in the county, executing judgements of the High Court through an Under Sheriff.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the High Sheriff was a powerful political position; the sheriffs were responsible for the maintenance of law and order and various other roles. The sheriff conventionally serves for a term of a year, with the term of office starting in March.